Airbags - how big an accident for them to go off???

[Thunder]

The women in my life have taken a different direction in life.
They have either become "Crash Test Dummies" or "Air Bag Testers" - LOL

Both are OK, so it is OK to laugh, as long as they don't read this thread - LOL.

The wife had a VX Berlina Gen 3 wagon.
Airbags in the steering wheel, passenger side dash board, and seats.
I can't remember whether they had windscreen pillar air bags as well.

Anyway, the wife was waiting to turn right on a multi lane road at a set of traffic lights back in August.
3 lanes each way plus a turning lane, but no turning arrow.
There was a car coming in the opposite direction and he also had his right blinker on to turn the oppsite way to my wife.
My wife started to pull out and the other car did not turn.

The accident was basically head on.
The car coming the other way was probably doing 60km/h and my wife was going very slowly.

The impact was right across the front, except the drivers side headlight.
As they came to a stop, his car also hit the side of my wifes car.

Not one air bag went off.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o259/Sureflo/IMAG0037t.jpg


http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o259/Sureflo/IMAG0036t.jpg


http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o259/Sureflo/IMAG0035t.jpg


The car was a write off and the damage was extensive.
I would have thought being virtually a head on that the air bags would have gone off.
Sometimes the air bags can cause some damage as well, so not sure whether it was better that they didn't go off.
She ended up with seat belt injuries, and her inbuilt air bags were sore for a while.


Just after Christmas the daughter wrote off her Pulsar - didn't see an Audi !!!
Her air bag went off though.


Fess up !!!
Who else has tested their air bags and survived???


Cheers
Greg

[1BEAST2NV]

fukn hell, that amount of damage and not 1....

thats bullshit, surely one would go off, u would think anyway.??

[macca33]

Am I sensing a little deja vu here Greg? I thought this thread about this collision already happened?

Good to see they are all safe though.

cheers

[Bling Bling]

Wow you would think the air bag would have gone off glad she ok ps double check HER air bags.

[HSV Listy]

My airbags went off without any damage to the panels. A gutter hit under the car when I had to avoid a truck running over me and up on the gutter at 80km/h was the only way out. Both front airbags went off including pretentioners. No damage to the car other than Kframe dint, small crack on front spoiler. THe rest of the costs were to repair the air bags. The avalance thread of mine has all the burn photos and more story.
As for me 2nd degree burns on my leg and wrist. Bruising on my chest from the pretentiones. At 80km/h I had to get off the gutter other wise I would of run into the tree on the divider, cross 2 lanes of trafic all while scared half to death, then deaf in the ears and totally out of breath. Managed it ok but by bugger it hurt. Took about 3 months to heal fully.

[seedyrom]

both are OK
So your wife walked away from it?

Smart air bag. Knows when it's not needed

[planetdavo]

So your wife walked away from it?

Smart air bag. Knows when it's not needed

Seedyrom is a wise man...:teach:
To quote you Thunder..."Both are OK".
If your wife is ok, the weren't needed, as the seatbelt/pretensioner did it's job. If it had gone off, it might well have given your wife a broken nose and maybe a couple of broken ribs too.
So, instead of telling us that she's ok but the airbags didn't go off, you'd be telling us that "thank god the airbags went off, she "only" ended up with a broken nose and a couple of broken ribs"...

[feistl]

That looks like the impact was around 30-35kp/h. Normally airbags dont go off unless you exceed 40kp/h. Looks perfectly acceptable, and as you said your wife walked away from it so they wernt needed.

[planetdavo]

It's also not uncommon for imported cars to trigger their airbags at a lower threshold than local cars.
Subjects like Thunder stated come up now and again on here, usually just after someone the person knows (or themselves) was in a accident. You NEVER want an airbag to go off if it's not needed to protect you. They are violent things designed to limit more serious injury or death from hitting steering wheels, windscreens, pillars etc, and nothing like soft fluffy pillows. They can cause more serious injuries than the car would have inflicted if they trigger at too low a threshold.

[WIKED]

I had a very low speed head on when someone came around a corner on the wrong side of the road. The airbag went off and I had the marks to prove it.

Monash University in Melbourne were investigating Air bag deployments in all types of accidents at that time (around 2000) so I wonder if the data is available now.

[Jamolad]

Guy I know set off airbags in a VX or VT cop car, can't remember which model. Somehow ended up with 2/3 of the Holden emblem from the steering wheel centre imprinted on his forehead for about week, but not sure how that happened as I thought that centre bit of the wheel just flipped up to allow the bag out????? I heard about it and called crap until I saw it for myself (imprint that is). Could understand if the bag didn't go off and he headbutted the centre of the wheel, but airbag definitely deployed (80-odd km/h into one of Adelaide's notorious stobie poles on Regency Rd).

They can be violent things when they go off - shits me when I see small kids riding in the front seat of airbag equipped cars, as they can be lethal to little'uns.

[Spoolin]

If the occupants weren't injured, then the bags weren't required. It's only a write off because it's such a low value vehicle, if it was newer and worth more it would have been repaired.

looking at the pics, it wasn't a particularly hard hit, maybe 40ish k's. All Commodores up to VE are pretty soft and don't take much to bend, look at it in comparison to the ED which looks as though it faired better in regards to damage, maybe not for the occupants.

[aussiemuscle308]

She ended up with seat belt injuries, and her inbuilt air bags were sore for a while.
Airbags were originally designed for Americans that wouldn't wear seatbelts. if you are wearing your seatbelt, the airbag is not as critical. (they help, but not essential)
they car with the blinker on, probably had it on since the last time he turned right.

[XUV]

this 5th gear segment is a good indication , it's opel so it's SRS I guess .
6c7dyLJQsd4

[planetdavo]

It appears axemurderer101 would rather have his loved one's face smashed by an airbag than accept reality over the damage they can do to the occupants when not genuinely required...:confused:

[macca33]

It appears axemurderer101 would rather have his loved one's face smashed by an airbag than accept reality over the damage they can do to the occupants when not genuinely required...:confused:

You not confusing threads Davo - cannot see a post from an axemurderer in this thread - although it has been a long day.

You and others are correct though - the safety restraint systems are 'staged' and will only trigger if necessary - according to the manufacturer settings. The smart little black boxes record G-forces, change in acceleration / deceleration and if a threshold is passed, they will deploy the necessary safety device.

YEP - airbags do cause serious injuries - an explosive device triggers the bag with a very fast deployment speed and they will break facial features - they may also save you, so the increased protection - whilst at a cost - is worthwhile.

My prang - yep, here's where I'll bang on about it again, was a strong, full brake force deceleration from about 80kph and I reckon I hit the other car (which turned in front of me :vpo: ) at around 30-40kph, judging by the crush to the front of my car and on his. Seatbelt pre-tensioners deployed and locked me into the seat - airbags did not deploy, as there was no need..

http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k339/macsen8r/Miscellaneous/20101029_004.jpg

[planetdavo]

Comment relates to axemurderer101 "disliking" a post that states airbags are violent things that can hurt people macca33.

[macca33]

Comment relates to axemurderer101 "disliking" a post that states airbags are violent things that can hurt people macca33.

Ah, the old dislike button hey....that's the third time this month.......

[macca33]

I had a very low speed head on when someone came around a corner on the wrong side of the road. The airbag went off and I had the marks to prove it.

Monash University in Melbourne were investigating Air bag deployments in all types of accidents at that time (around 2000) so I wonder if the data is available now.


Wiked - Link is here:- http://www.monash.edu.au/miri/research/reports/atsb199.pdf

[VP_Wagon]

I was driving a VW Caddy in september last year and was t-boned by a hilux at roughly 80km/hr I was at about 30km/hr as I was turning, The airbag went off, burnt my wrist, but I walked away so was happy with that. Car was a write off as it was bent quite badly.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c23/VP_Wagon/2011-09-15_07-23-41_702.jpg

[vicarious]

^^^ if that was 80km hit, it looks like it fared well

[Spoolin]

^^^ if that was 80km hit, it looks like it fared well

Because it wasn't 80kph. Too many people think that because of the sign posted limit, they get hit at that speed. If you got hit at 80, you would be one sore and sorry person.

[macca33]

^^^ if that was 80km hit, it looks like it fared well


Crush to the side panels indicate that it would be lucky to have been a 10-20kph impact speed. If that car had been hit in that position at 80kph Mr VP_Wagon would NOT be here to tell the tale.

[boggers007]

My ex crashed her at the time brand new barina a year ago, someone came thru a red light at her (4wd) and t-boned her at about 50ish k's. Air bag went off in her face knocked her out and bruised her nose bad and around the face abit. She was fine besides that and some seatbelt burns but I reckon she would have been better off without the airbag.

[vicarious]

Crush to the side panels indicate that it would be lucky to have been a 10-20kph impact speed. If that car had been hit in that position at 80kph Mr VP_Wagon would NOT be here to tell the tale.

didn't think it would of been 80km

[VP_Wagon]

didn't think it would of been 80km

It was a 70km/hr zone other guy was flattened it to try and beat the orange and I was quick off the green arrow. He said he didn't hit the brakes and there was no skid marks after, sent me flying back across the intersection wacked my head on the b pillar inside the car. so it wasn't a dead side on t-bone. apparantly the damage is worse then it looks in pictures as I thought the car would be repaired.

Back on the airbags though in the Hilux the passenger air bag deployed but the drivers air bag didn't, passenger was alright driver not so good, I do wonder why the drivers did not go off due to a fault or if the system didn;t even fire it

[Skedy]

i lost it in my old 350z one very wet night and hit a gutter.
i broke the rear hub and forced that wheel under the car. wasnt a massive amount of damage but luckily for my passenger the curtain and seat airbag went off.
i didnt even hear them or no they went off until i walked around that side of the car....

i really thought they would repair it but nope write off.

ive also set off my fair share of airbags at work. they shoot fairly high if you face them down lol
once i had to set all the airbags off in a territory i seen the doors bulge as they all went off

[XUV]

if you're worried about the little lady getting injured ,
get her a set of
16KKK-size breasts (US size 38KKK)
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/offbeat/12910796/woman-saved-by-massive-breasts/



A Brazilian model has survived a horrific car crash, thanks to her extra-large breasts that seem to have acted like protective air bags.Sheyla Hershey, 32, escaped the accident with only minor bruises to her 16KKK-size breasts (US size 38KKK) and she is thankful for her money makers.Hershey was driving home after a Super Bowl party last week when she lost control of her car and crashed into a tree.“My breasts stopped my face and my head being hit. I am so thankful for them,” she told The Sun, "I think my breasts saved my life”.Hershey has had at least 10 breast enhancement surgeries and intends to increase her bust size to 38Mhttp://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/120215/bigbreasts_400_17jm36c-17jm36e.jpg